Here's How Nasty Grocery Carts Really Are

Despite the rise of online shopping, nothing quite matches the level of control you get from browsing in the aisles and loading up your cart with the freshest fruit and veg, tasty treats from the bakery section, and the best deals on the shelves. Grocery stores, however, are busy places and there's no telling how many people have picked up products before you and put them back or how many hands have been on the cart rails. There's a reason we all sanitized our hands so thoroughly after making a dash around the store during the pandemic. Turns out, grocery store carts are legitimately quite nasty — and this is backed up by science.

A 2012 study published in Food Protection Trends randomly tested 85 grocery carts from various stores for bacteria on the seat and handle and found that coliforms (bacteria found in human waste) were present on 72% of carts. Meanwhile, E. coli, which can cause serious illness, was found in 51% of samples. Common viruses, such as colds and flu, can also spread through contact with contaminated high-touch hard surfaces.

While this may sound alarming (and gross), these bacteria were generally present in small amounts, meaning you won't necessarily get ill from encountering them. However, some bacteria like E. coli can cause illness at lower doses, so it's a good idea to practice hand hygiene, shop at quieter times of the week, or even use curbside pick-up.

Although you can't eliminate contact with germs entirely when you're at the store, there are plenty of ways to minimize your risk of getting sick. One of the easiest ways is to take advantage of any sanitization options that your local store has on offer, such as anti-bacterial wipes to clean cart handles. (Don't forget to wipe the handles after use as well so your basket is clean for the next shopper.) Cleaning the handles of grocery carts that have been left outside can also get rid of bacteria from bird droppings, which is another potential contaminant.

It's also a good idea to wash your hands after using a grocery cart and to avoid touching your face while doing a shop. You could also keep some hand sanitizer in your car (choose one with over 60% alcohol) but be aware that, although it will eliminate some microbes, hand sanitizer is not as effective as soap and water when it comes to killing germs.

As you spend quite a lot of time holding the handle of your grocery cart, depending on the length of your shop, making sure you sanitize cart surfaces is likely the best way to limit microbial spread. Once you get into the habit, you'll probably start to rank not doing it up there with the worst grocery store bad habits.